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#37 My Heart Undressed: The Variety StoreJANE PHINNEY: As much as I love my family, past & present, Jesus Christ is my only guarantee. Without Him, life offers nothing of eternal value.
SAM’S VARIETY STOREIt’s Fall, and holiday thoughts are knocking on the door of my mind. Memories automatically kick in & my emotions follow suit. I am, by nature, a very nostalgic person! This occurs most during the months of November, December, and January. Like the boxes holding seasonal decorations, my mind opens memorable files for personal review. I prefer to enjoy the holidays in order, not focusing on one before it’s due time. Although I’m not a fan of Christmas-in-July shopping or October Christmas movies, I still enjoy anything that calls up special times, from the past, with people who I hold near & dear. One thought leads to another & emotional “reviews” surface unbidden. Sam’s Variety Store is one of those significant imprints in my mind. It was located on the Northeast corner of the only intersection on Main Street, in the small Iowa farming community of 2000 where I grew up. If a store could be a friend, Sam’s was mine. As my childhood version of Walmart, it pretty much had everything my young imagination needed. Plus, it had Sam, & he was awesome! Sam was a kind, people-loving man who spoke to, & smiled at, everyone who walked through the doors. In addition to school supplies, household items, toiletries, & clothes, the store also offered appealing confections behind the counter. Looking back, I can see that Sam was also smart in his dealings with kids. He knew it was too hard on kids to have the sugar options too readily available. So, at Sam’s, you had to ask. Sam would personally retrieve your preferred selection & put it on the counter, by the cash register, while he watched you count out the exact change. I liked Sam. And I had great respect for him as the owner of my favorite place to shop. But Sam’s Variety had a couple other perks that appealed to adults & children alike. On the weekends, there was a popcorn machine AND a snow cone machine set up on the sidewalk. It was indeed a treat to buy either! Although a nickel & a dime went much further in those days, we didn’t always stop. First things came first…food & other needs. A second picture in my mind’s eye is Sam’s two, large, glass display windows on either side of the entrance door. One was scattered with a sampling of items, available for purchase, in the store. The other window showcased my very own, endearing, Grandma Grace’s handiwork. Grandma Grace became a widow when I was 7 years old. She had cared for my grandpa for two years as he lay fighting cancer, on a hospital bed, on their enclosed front porch. I think they chose that location because there were windows on three sides. It was the most pleasant view & also easy access for visitors. Grandma was a “homespun” woman. There wasn’t much she couldn’t grow, sew, can, or craft. Growing up, she kept my sister & I outfitted in flannel pajamas, slippers, Sunday dresses, & school clothes. Her old Singer machine rarely sat idle. One of my favorite, & last, things she made for me was a jumper repurposed from an old, but classy, coat. My friends would “oo-o & ah-h” and loved the stories behind my clothes. We still make “Grandma Grace” mashed potatoes to this day. They were as legendary as her cinnamon rolls, pies, cookies, & canned Bing cherries. When Grandpa went Home to Jesus, Grandma supplemented her income by filling Sam’s display window with knitted & crocheted items. Pretty handkerchiefs, baby booties, caps, sweaters, & blankets were never out of reach. Her handiwork was beautiful! Folks could make requests if they wanted a specific color, pattern or design. She was so accustomed to having knitting needles, or crochet hooks, in her hands, that they became a favorite tickling tool for us kids. From her profits, Grandma also gave the four grandchildren 3 presents, each, at Christmas time. Some were homemade & some were purchased. I’ll never forget the time she gave me a (still available) weaving loom. She had taught me simple knitting but here was another opportunity for me to create! I knew these gifts represented a sacrifice of time & money. Because of the relationship my parents maintained with all 4 of my grandparents, we held them in high esteem too. Gifts from them were a “big deal.” Although likely considered small by today’s standards, the love invested in the making & thoughtfulness toward each child, made them irreplaceable in personal value. Sadly enough, in our high-tech, commercialized world, the interaction between grandparents & grandchildren, overall, has been thwarted by busyness, competition, & comparison. And our culture is worse for the lack. Grandma was a strong woman. I don’t recall her complaining or feeling depressed. If she did, she didn’t let those feelings be known to me. She knew her neighbors & they watched out for each other. I, too, knew most of them. Since she lived only one block from school, we popped in for visits. And my Dad could fix most anything she needed repaired. When I was too young to recall clearly, Grandma battled breast cancer & other female health issues. The summer that I turned 14, she was fighting lymphoma. Her leg was completely swollen, top to bottom. She wasn’t allowed to be up…at all. So, throughout June, July, & August, I took care of her in her home. It’s one of those things I look back on with no regrets. Other family members had to work so my mom stepped in to help me, when needed, if she was current with her responsibilities at my house. As the starting of the school year approached, Grandma worsened significantly until she had to be hospitalized. My last visual memory is peeking into her hospital room & hearing her cry out to Jesus as she raised her hands toward heaven. Cancer had metastasized in her brain & she was in a great deal of pain. On September 14, 1968, Grandma joined Grandpa in heaven. Although the holidays are bittersweet because I miss the people, I am thankful for the blessings associated with memories. I have a deeper appreciation for the time, talents, & thoughtfulness invested in giving. I have experienced deep bonds of love, companionship, & loyalty with older generations. These values did not transfer automatically. They were not purchased or haphazardly acquired by bribery. Rather, they are reflections, invested in love, over time, that were woven into the fabric of my soul-- by example. What a difference any day can make! Or an hour…a minute… a split second. Not to be taken for granted, relationships are fragile & require intentional tending to not only survive, but to thrive. Sam knew this too. He went out of the way to make his customers feel special. As much as I love my family, past & present, Jesus Christ is my only guarantee. Without Him, life offers nothing of eternal value. Without Him as the glue, relationships cannot stand firm through time-tested trials. Without Him, no tradition has any soul-nourishing effect. Because outside of Him, there is no HOPE, & there is no PEACE. Holidays are sweetened by the Truth that rises to the surface when I remember the selfless choices made my parents & grandparents. They laid spiritual steppingstones, designed by the Lord, to lead me to the ONE TRUE GIFT.
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